Beneath the Surface
by itsthatcrazygirl13
Summary: Julissa Frost is a seventeen-year-old street rat from District 8 who steals to keep her and her brothers well fed and alive. She never would've guessed that she would be thrown into the 75th Hunger Games with twenty three others. Julissa struggles to survive and to make matters worse, a handsome boy from District 2 reveals his true feeling about her. Alternative version of 75HG
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Hey! I'm a twelve year old fanfiction writer called itsthatcrazygirl13 but my real name is Primrose or Prim :) Just like in the Hunger Games :) But my hair is black and I have hazel eyes but Primrose Everdeen from HG has blonde hair and blue eyes. Anyways, on with the story!

**Chapter 1**

**The Chase**

"I'm going to kill you when I catch you!"

His shouts and threats only cause my feet to sprint faster. My legs ache and my knees fell as though they will collapse any moment and I'll tumble down. Unfortunately, I can't, my friends and family depend on me. If I get caught they'll force me to spill out where the rest of the crew are hiding, just like they did to Lydia.

_Lydia_

The thought of her causes my eyes to water but I don't have time for weeping over the loss of my close friend. I cast a glance towards the rooftop of the building nearby. There standing with wide eyes and sad expressions are three members of the crew, Rae, Terry and Jerry. Jerry shoots me a look as if saying; "Typical Julissa, always getting herself in trouble". I ignore them and make a sharp turn through and alley, then another, then another. In the distance I can see a crowd gathering around. Knowing that this is my opportunity, I dash towards them and try to blend in with the large group.

The men chasing me; three Peacekeepers and a very angry man, are searching desperately for me. Silently, I sneak out and make a dash for the alley right between the butcher store and the bakery store. I spot the old and dusty dumpster in its usual spot. With all my strength I manage to slide it so a hole in the wall is revealed. I crawl inside the hole.

"It took you a while" Lash hisses once I've entered.

"I was trying to loose a tail" I reply in the same tone he'd used. He simply nods. His brown eyes look darker due to the lack of light. I notice that only one candle is light and is illuminating only a quarter of the room. I search for Rae, Terry and Jerry and spot them in the corner. The twins, Terry and Jerry, grin at me mischievously and their blue eyes are practically gleaming.

"Poor Juli" Terry sighs with false sadness. "Almost got caught again. How many times has that happened, Jer?"

"Around…I don't know. Maybe…_forty_?" Jerry says smugly.

"Guys, seriously. _Forty_ times? Are you that stupid?" Rae defends and an unconscious grin appears on my face. At least someone is on my side. That is before Rae adds, "She has done that over a _hundred_ times"

"Gee thanks Rae! For a second I actually thought you were on my side" My smile disappears and I storm over to my brothers, Jared and Callum. It's hard to believe that Jared and Callum are related because of their obvious physical feature difference. While Jared has dark brown eyes that appear cold and intimidating, Callum has blue eyes that appear warn and inviting. Jared's hair is a light brown while Callum's is a bright blonde. Jared's skin is tanned from all the times he's been outside while Callum's is a paler colour. I, on the other hand, look nothing like either of them. My hair is a raven black and always appears messily like a bird's nest. My eyes are a light shade of green and my skin is a hue between Jared and Callum's.

"Hey little Birdy" Jared teases. "Any baby birds in that nest of yours?"

I force a fake laugh. "Jared! That is so funny! I'm _dying_ of laughter" Jared rolls his eyes and Callum ruffles my hair.

"I wonder if my sandwich from last night is hiding in there. I've been looking ages for it" Callum ponders aloud while tapping his finger on his chin. Jared doubles over laughing and I softly kick Callum's shin. He leaps back slight and glares at me.

"Shut up!" I snap playfully. It isn't long before our laughs are silenced by our leader, Lash.

"In case you three have forgotten, we're in a room right behind a bakery. I doubt that they can't hear us" Lash says.

"Sorry" Callum murmurs.

"Never mind that" Lash waves his hand dismissively. "It seems that this week, Mitchell has stolen the most"

"Yes" Mitch grins and throws his fist in the air enthusiastically. I find the little boy entertaining to watch. He began twirling and dancing like he won the Hunger Games. Every week, the crew sees who stole the most and the winner gets to chose anyone in the crew to assist them on robbing the bakery's delicious cakes. The cake is very tempting and motivates the entire crew to steal more that necessary.

Our crew is filled with brilliant people; Terry and Jerry and both have a silver tongue and can manipulate anyone into doing nearly anything, Rae is a great climber and can run up most walls, Mitch is very agile and sly, Connor is fast and daring, Jared is strong, Chileena is flexible, Liam is smart, Lash is a natural leader and I am stealthy. Lately I've been quite careless though and often get caught but I can't figure out whether it's my fault or the Peacekeepers know that I'm going to steal from the market.

"Coming in second place is…Julissa!" Chileena cheers. "If you were more careful, you could've pick pocketed more people and won"

"Enough with the chatting, today is Reaping Day. We all know what happens if we don't attend the Reaping" Liam says. Reaping Day, the day twenty four children get thrown into the Hunger Games to fight until the death. Only one lone victor remains. Lash, Jared, Callum, Liam, Chileena and the twins are the only ones that don't have to enter the Reaping because of their age. Unfortunately, Rae, Mitch and I are still between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Rae is only twelve while Mitch is eighteen and I am sixteen. I feel a tug on my hand and see Rae clutching my left hand.

"Let's go and steal a few dresses for Reaping Day" she says mischievously and I agree. The two of us head down to a nearby clothing store, the finest store for clothing in District 8. When I turned thirteen Lash, Jared and Lydia showed me all the ways in and out without being caught. I wish I had spent more time with Lydia, before she was executed in front of a live audience. One day the Capitol will pay and I'll be the one to watch it.

**Author's Note:** And that is it! Chapter 1 is complete! I have great ideas for the story and the story line is being created as you read. If at least one or if I'm lucky then more people review then I'll put up Chapter 2 :) I'm the kinda 'you give, you get' person so if you review I'll make sure to read and review your story! How's that?! I'm having difficulties deciding whether I should make Julissa volunteer for Rae or just be Reaped. I hope you enjoyed and…

**REVIEW!**

Yours truly, Prim (itsthatcrazygirl)


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Yay! You're still here :) I got a review for Chapter 1 :D I was so happy that I screamed.

Thank you rilliusin for reviewing. I have also read one of your stories and reviewed it :)

Anyways, here's Chap2

**Chapter Two**

**Reaping Day**

I resist the urge to throw my hands over my ears when the ridiculously dressed Capitol woman speaks into the microphone with her high pitched, enthusiastic voice.

"Welcome! Welcome! Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor! My name is Librae Keyes and I am District 8's escort!" she says in a painfully loud and cheery voice. She has long dark teal hair that reaches her waist and pale blue eyes. Her skin is paper white with black swirls which I assume is tattoos. She is wearing a teal dress that reaches her knees with high heeled shoes. A false smile plasters her face as she continues to speak. "Before I announce the lucky tributes that will be competing in the 75th Hunger Games, we have a film brought to you all the way from the Capitol"

I don't pay attention to most of the film. Instead I look at little Rae standing with a scared expression in the twelve year old section. Her grey eyes are welling up with tears and I can't help but feel sympathy towards her. This must be terrifying for her.

"Now the time has come to select one courageous man and woman to represent our fabulous district. Ladies first!" she pranced over to the clear bowl and dips her hand in. This year the bowl is full to the top with slips of teenage girls' names. I cross my finger as she reads the name.

"JULISSA FROST"

All eyes are glued on me and my stomach begins doing somersaults. A path has already been made so that I can join Librae on stage.

_I'm going to die _

_They're going to throw me into the Hunger Games and I'm going to die_

A gentle push on my shoulder causes me to reluctantly drag my feet towards the stage. My hands begin to shake rapidly with fear. I won't cry. Crying is showing that you're weak, that's what Lash says. Numerous cameras are following me as I step up to the stage and I can see myself on the large screen.

"And now for the boys" Librae opens another slip. "RAPTOR DONAVON"

A tall, muscular boy emerges from the eighteen year old boys section. His eyes are grey and his hair is coal black. He doesn't waste time by speed walking to the stage.

"Give a round of applause for District 8's tributes for the 75th Hunger Games!" Librae beams. Not one person claps, instead they press three fingers to their lips then raise it to the air. My district partner and I return the sign before being ushered off by several Peacekeepers.

_- - -TIME SKIP- - -_

A short time after the Peacekeepers had thrown me in the small room, Jared and Callum had barged in.

"Oh Juli, we're so sorry" Callum apologizes. He pulls me into a warm embrace and strokes my hair as I rest my head on his shoulder.

"Don't apologize" I murmur. "It wasn't your fault"

I turn around and give Jared a hug. He kisses me on the forehead and grips my upper arms softly. His eyes are dead serious and hard.

"Juli, we don't have a lot of time so I'm going to say everything as simple as possible" he says and I nod. "Train. Train hard. You're handy with a knife, I've seen you playing with one with Lydia. Practice with a sword as well. Don't spend too much time with using weapons. Find out as much as you can on survival"

"We have something for you" Callum announces.

"Yeah" Jared agrees pulling something out of his pocket. A small scorpion is hanging of a silver chain. "It's a scorpion necklace. You'd always loved scorpions"

Almost as if on cue, two Peacekeepers enter and announce that my time with them is over.

"We love you, Julissa!" Jared shouts before the door slams shut. The door flies open and I'm greeted by four familiar faces; Lash, Rae, Mitch and Chileena. My time with them flies wordlessly as we sit on the couch with our arms tangled around each other. After they leave no one else enters and I sit on the floor leaning against the couch with silent tears streaming down my cheek. I'll miss District 8. I'll miss my brothers. I'll miss the crew. I'll miss stealing from stores. I'll miss pick pocketing from strangers. I'll miss being chased until I feel like collapsing. I'll miss it all; the good and the bad.

**Author's Note:** So this chapter is a bit poorly written, I'm not really good at writing sad goodbyes and stuff like that. Hopefully it was good enough. By the way, the crew that Julissa lives and steals with is are all thieves, they have to steal to survive because they're all orphans. The crew is; Lash, Jared, Chileena, Mitchell (Mitch), Liam, Terence (Terry), Jeremy (Jerry) and Lydia. I got a message last night about why Lydia died. I'll explain, Lydia was captured by the Peacekeepers and was charged for theft and other things, they said that if she revealed where the rest of the crew was, she wouldn't be executed but Lydia refused so she died. Just wanted to clear that! Hope you liked it! :D

**REVIEW!**

-Yours truly, Prim (itsthatcrazygirl13)


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"**Let's Watch the Reaping!"**

I hungrily shove food into my mouth and snatch chocolate muffins from the tray lying across the table. I can see Librae opening and closing her mouth like she wants to say something but then decides not to. After watching me eat for another few minutes, Librae finally finds the courage to speak.

"I'm sorry for asking, Julissa, but…did they feed you at all?" she asks. I stare at her blankly and try to figure out whether she's insulting me or simply curious.

"Don't ask things like that, Libby" Raptor says. I can see a smile hovering at his lips and instantly know he's about to say something nasty. "After all, this is the first time the poor rat has ever eaten food"

The table erupts with laughter and I glare at Raptor. Lately he's been on my bad side.

"Raptor, are you still in your Reaping clothes?" Raptor's mentor, Woof asks. "You look uncomfortable"

"Nah, I'm fine Woof" Raptor replies. "Thanks for asking"

A devilish grin appears on my face. "Are you sure, Raptor? Maybe you should slip into something more comfortable…like a coma, perhaps?"

Librae tosses something at my head, "Manners!" she screeches. Raptor glares at me and I smirk.

"Let's watch the Reaping!" my mentor, Cecelia, shouts while plopping down on the soft grey sofa. The rest of us follow. I glance over at Raptor and see that he is going to sit down beside Woof. This is my opportunity to really annoy him like he does to me. I jog towards the seat and sit before Raptor has the chance to.

"I was going to sit there" Raptor pouts.

I shrug. "Not my problem"

Raptor glares at me, "Move over!"

"No way!" I snap playfully.

"Fine" he says. "I'll move you"

Raptor attempts to move me but I'm firmly seated on the sofa. After a few unsuccessful attempts he straightens up.

"You're so heavy!" he gasps.

"No! Gravity loves me!" I shoot back. I slowly move over to make room for Raptor and he sits down wordlessly. A man with sleek, lavender hair appears on TV and begins talking about the tributes this year but I barely pay attention. From District 1, a muscular and attractive boy volunteers before his escort could even read out the tribute's name. His eyes are a light brown and his hair is a shade between blonde and brown. He reveals that his name is Calix Londier. The girl has long curly blonde hair that reaches her waist and violet eyes. She is tall and lean with a menacing smile. Her name is Augustine Venazzi.

"They could be threats" Woof notes.

From District 2, another muscular and attractive boy volunteers. His hair is ash brown and his eyes are a stunning shade between blue and green. His name is Clay Sanders. The girl is beautiful like Augustine but has a friendly smile instead of a menacing one like One. Her hair is short and dark brown and her eyes are a stormy grey colour. Her name is Tasma Miller.

"Watch out for 1 and 2" Cecelia says. "They're definitely Careers but they might add more people"

Raptor and I nod understandingly. District 3 doesn't possess very well trained tributes. The boy is shaking and looks like he is going to begin crying. His hair is raven black and his eyes are chocolate brown. His partner looks worse. Tears are flowing down her cheeks like rivers and she is sobbing loudly. Her escort stops every few minutes to ask her to quite crying. She has short blonde hair and dark brown eyes, a strange combination. She looks only around thirteen or fourteen years old. Their names are Miles Romako and Easton Toran.

District 4 has two very attractive tributes. The boy is very muscular with cropped brown hair and light green eyes. His name is Reef Somas. The girl seems weaker than her partner. She is small and frail with ginger hair and dark blue eyes. Her name is Ellen Emmers. Ellen only appears fifteen. She waves nervously at the cameras and bites her lower lip while Reef acts cocky and sends proud grins towards the cameras.

District 5 has two twelve year olds that are bawling their eyes out. The boy is thin and short with light brown hair and matching brown eyes while the girl has blonde hair and blue eyes. Their names are Jagger Palitira and Henrietta McCarty.

District 6 has two frail tributes only around sixteen or seventeen. The boy is staring at the floor with tears in his eyes while the girl is covering her face. The boy's name is Creed Jensen. He has black hair and mocha brown eyes. The girl's name is Taelore Garlane. She has ginger hair and her eyes are covered by her hands.

The District 7 female is by far the cruelest and sadistic female I've ever seen. Before the escort can even read the first letter of the tributes name, the girl races from the eighteen year old girl area and pushes her escort away from the microphone. She grips the microphone in her hand and grins demon-like. She begins to describe how she'll kill each tribute and why she'll win the Hunger Games. When her escort gets off the floor she quickly calls the Peacekeepers to make the girl move away from the microphone. The girl's name is Lagoon Curleen. Her eyes are a piercing sky blue and her hair is long and a shade between blonde and brown. The boy isn't nearly as obnoxious and rude as his partner. He is silent and doesn't reveal any emotion. His eyes are dark brown and his hair is jet black. His name is Darnell Douglas.

Librae appears on the screen and then calls out my name. I watch as I approach the stage hesitantly with a blank face. My hands seem to slightly shake but it isn't very noticeable. My hair is like the bird's nest it has always been and my eyes are filled with disbelief. The snow white dress I'm wearing compliments my skin. I have Rae to thank for that, since she is the one who stole it while I distracted everyone inside. I don't pay much attention to the rest of the Reaping. Instead I go to bed and take a long nap. I have yet to find out what my future holds.

**Author's Note:** Hey! I hope you like this chapter. For those of you who are wondering what Julissa meant when she said that gravity likes her I'll explain it. She was just saying that she's only heavy because gravity is pulling her down. I suck at explaining.

Tributes

District 1: Calix Londier (18yrs) and Augustine Venazzi (17yrs)

District 2: Clay Sanders (17) and Tasma Miller (16)

District 3: Miles Romako (16) and Easton Toran (14)

District 4: Reef Somas (18) and Ellen Emmers (15)

District 5: Jagger Palitira (12) and Henrietta McCarty (12)

District 6: Creed Jensen (16) and Taelore Garlane (16)

District 7: Darnell Douglas (13) and Lagoon Curleen (18)

District 8: Raptor Donavon (18) and Julissa Frost (17)

District 9: Beacan Trenks (12) and Ryabelle Strausser (16)

District 10: Neo Capatrita (18) and Saffron Thimble (15)

District 11: Axel Winters (18) and Keisha Clemon (14)

District 12: Winston Bryce (14) and Marilee Wyatt (17)

**REVIEW!**

-Yours truly, Prim (itsthatcrazygirl13)


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Three**

**First Impressions**

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!"

I groan and turn over while muttering numerous curse words. I hear a female giggle, followed by whispers between two people. Something must be going on. They're plotting something. Woof is way too kind to be plotting something evil against me but who's going to stop Raptor and Cecelia. I peek at them from one eye and see a bucket being tipped over me. I don't realize what is happening until my face is met with cold icy water.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" I scream. I leapt off the bed, now wide awake. Raptor and Cecelia are practically rolling on the floor laughing at my reaction and Woof is standing at the door with an amused but also concerned grin. Librae stood behind Woof with a scowl on her pale face. She obviously didn't like our childish behavior. Once Raptor and Cecelia left, I had a quick shower. The shower was unpredictable; it has so many different buttons that did different things. When I step out of the shower, I quickly dried my hair with a towel. Cecelia had told me to use a strange device called a 'hair dryer' but I didn't know how to work it. I pulled my hair into a simple braid and slipped on a jumper with colourful patterns on it and jeans. The jeans were so irritating. They seemed so new and clean unlike my old worn out jeans. I left the room and went to eat breakfast. Unlike dinner last night, I don't eat like a pig. I take my time eating the food to savor the taste. If I was going to the arena in a few days were I could possibly die then I might as well make the best of everything.

"Woof" I say and he turns and looks at me. "Are there other tributes on this train?"

He nods his head, "Yes, three cars from here is an area where all tributes are welcome"

"Maybe you two should go meet them" Librae suggests. "First impressions count"

"But first we have to choose your angles and learn about your strengths and weaknesses" Cecelia says.

"Let's start with Julissa" Raptor says turning around to me with a grin. "Any skills?"

I can see quite clearly that Raptor is expecting me to say no. He's wrong because I am a person with few weaknesses

_Oh my God I'm beginning to sound like him!_

"Yes" I say grinning at him. "Many skills"

"Do tell" Cecelia says smiling kindly.

"I am stealthy and I can get through small spaces" I say. "I am also good with knives. My friend Lydia taught me everything she knows"

"Is that all?!" Raptor laughs.

"I can also climb" I finish.

"Well…I can use a sword and a bow and arrow. I'm quick and strong and I'm way better than Juli" he gloats.

"Overconfidence could get you killed" I state.

"At least I have confidence" he sneers.

Cecelia rolls her eyes. "Have you two finished bickering like an old couple?"

Neither of us respond and Cecelia continues. "Julissa should act as unskilled and weak"

"What?!" I roar. No way I'm going to be like that. We're in the Hunger Games! I don't want anyone to think I'm pathetic and weak!

"Only for a little while" Woof says calmly. "You lower their expectations but really on the inside you're-"

"A killing machine" Cecelia finishes and I shiver inwardly. Could I really kill a person? It's kill or be killed. "I know that you'll hate it so you can pose to be weak and frail but feisty and short tempered"

"That sounds exactly like her" Librae says. "Short tempered"

"Raptor should be unpredictable and mysterious" Woof says. "Never linger in a station to long and get inside the Careers' heads"

Raptor and I both nod and I drag him towards the door leading towards another train car. We continue going from car to car until we find the tributes section.

"Remember to stay in character" Raptor whispers before leaving. I scan the area with my eyes. The girls from 10 and 12 are having a conversation in the corner. The two from 6 and 5 are sitting together and tributes from 3, 9 and 11 are scattered around the place. I approach the two from 10 and 12 but a loud voice catches my attention. The girl from one enters with a cocky grin on her face and smirk at the others. Her gaze lingers on the boy from 11 as she sizes him up. His district partner glares at the girl from one in return, Augustine, I think her name was. She sees me staring at her and approaches me.

"Why are you staring at me?" she asks with a quirk of her brow. "Is it because I'm so damn good looking?"

I've met self centered, spoilt girls like this many times in the future but none had ever approached me. Before I realize what I'm saying the words come out.

"Sweetie, the only way you could ever be good looking is if I'm drunk" I say. She glares at me for a moment before speaking.

"At least I have a chance in the Hunger Games unlike you, _street rat_" she sneers.

I smirk. "Was that suppose to offend me? The only thing offending me right now is your face…"

She begins to get frustrated, "Arggg! You're absolutely hideous!"

"And you're a beautiful, wonderful and intelligent person" I say. Puzzle is written on her face before I add, "Oh I'm sorry, I thought we were having a lying competition"

"I'm going to make you wish you were never born!" she growls and her hands ball into fist.

"You can try. Speaking of born, were you born on a highway? I heard that's the place were most accidents happen" I snarl. Augustine looses it and lunges for me but someone's firm grip holds her in place. It's the boy from two, Clay. He pulls Augustine away from me.

_Ha! Score one for the underdog! How's that for a street rat?!_

"Save it for the arena" he says to her and she grins menacingly at me at the thought. I simply stare at her with my eyes narrowed and a cocky grin playing on my face. She leaves without another word and Clay sighs.

"You've got a lot of guts to talk to a Career like that" he says.

I shrug. "If she's gonna act like an animal, I'll treat her like an animal"

He lets out a soft chuckle. "I like you, Eight. You've have no fear. That could prove to be useful in the arena…or it could get you killed"

"Thanks?" I say. His captivating blue-green eyes stare into my green ones. I notice that there are different shades of blue right around his iris then fades to green with a teal colour around the outside. It contrasts perfectly with his tanned skin and light hair. I quickly look away after I realize that I'm staring and I begin to blush. I heard his footsteps fade away and another pair of feet is coming towards me.

"That was amazing!" a voice gushes. The girl from 12 smiles at me. "I'm Marilee, District 12 and this is Saffron from 10"

Her mahogany hair falls in loose ringlets over her shoulders and drapes down over her small frame and above her waist. Her eyes are grey like cement and her skin is lightly tanned. Saffron looks nothing like her friend. Her golden blonde hair cascades down in small waves and stops at her shoulders and her azure blue eyes sparkle like stars.

"Julissa, District 8" I introduce.

I sit down at a table with them and listen as the pair begin talking about their lives before they got Reaped.

"What about you Juli? I can call you that right?" Saffron asks. "What was your life like when you were younger?"

I'm not sure if I trust these two girls enough with my past life. They both seem friendly and down to earth unlike the tributes from one and two. I decide that it wouldn't hurt if I told them only a bit of my past.

"Well I remember only a few things" I say truthfully. "When I was five, my brother Jared, gave me a cupcake and told me to distract a few people for a while"

"What did you do with the cupcake?" Marilee asks.

"I threw it at a cat and shouted, 'Get a job for God's sake!'" I answer.

Marilee and Saffron both burst into a fit of giggles. I remember that day like it was yesterday. Jared was stealing from the butcher so he told me to draw all the attention to myself. I saw a stray cat and just threw it without thinking and when I noticed people staring I added, "Get a job for God's sake!" It worked perfectly and we had chicken soup for dinner that night. I miss my family already.

**Author's Note:** Did you like it? Did you hate it? Tell me all about it! Did you enjoy the tension between 1 and 8? I had fun writing it. Thank you for reading. Please review :) Seriously, more than sixty people have read this yet I only have three reviews, two of them are from the same person. I watched Catching Fire yesterday with my sisters; Priscilla, Peyton and Pamela. I LOVED it :) Definitely worth going to the cinemas for.

**REVIEW!**

-Yours truly, Prim (itsthatcrazygirl13)


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**The Tribute Parade**

Capitol men and women bombard us as soon as we take our first step out of the train. Cameras are being waved in our faces and bright flashes blind us. I force a fake smile and wave at the crowds. People are shouting at us and I quicken my pace so I can quickly escape from them. Cecelia is a few steps ahead of me while Raptor, Woof and Librae remain behind. That's when I catch sight of the open door. I swiftly dodge a few photographers and enter. The noise of the cheering Capitol dies down as soon as Raptor, Woof and Librae enter.

"They're like animals" Raptor says.

Librae slaps him with her purse. "Be nice, Raptor!"

Raptor mumbles an apology and we all enter the small elevator. The tributes from District 7 are already inside and make room for us to enter. We all push each other around to fit inside the elevator.

"If you don't move over I swear I'll gut you!" a voice hisses. I turn to see that the frightening tribute from District 7, Lagoon I think her name is, is threatening her partner. She grips the collar of his shirt and the thirteen year old is lifted off the floor, fear flashes through his eyes. Before I even know what I'm doing I shove Lagoon away from the boy.

"Leave him alone" I say, my voice low yet firm.

Her killer eyes glare into mine. "This none of your business, Eight"  
Her voice was shrill and spine-tinkling like nails on a chalkboard and her cold and distant blue eyes glare at me.

"It is now" I say. Without a warning she lunges for me like Augustine had on the train. I had gotten a very long lecture from Librae about that and I don't want that to happen again. I swiftly move aside and she collides with her escort. Panic flows through me and I quickly stop the elevator and leapt onto whichever floor we're on.

Lagoon chases after me. She's fast, I have to give her credit but after being on the run for years, I'm quicker and thrive under pressure. I see a woman standing at a doorway and quickly duck under her arm. Lagoon isn't as lucky. The woman blocks her way and holds her back. Two more people come rushing to keep Lagoon away and I am thankful for that. The woman I had ducked under finally releases Lagoon.

"Get off of me!" Lagoon hisses to the two holding her back. Unfortunately for me, those two are the two from District Two; Clay and Tasma.

"What are you doing trying to attack this tribute?!" the woman hisses. Her lips curl upwards are her teeth are bearing out. Her nostrils flare and it is obvious from the look in her eyes that she hates being disturbed. Her teeth are like no other, surgically altered to have a sharp point like fangs. I remember hearing Librae talking about her once but I can't recall her name. Enara or Enobira or something along those lines.

"That's none of your damn business" Lagoon sneers. Before things can get out of hand, Lagoon's mentor rushes over, Johanna, I think her name was. She rushes to Lagoon's side and waves Tasma and Clay away.

"We'll be leaving now" Johanna says tugging on Lagoon's wrist. Before leaving, Lagoon turns to me and snarls like an animal.

"You can't hide behind Enobaria forever!" she shouts. Enobaria! That's her name! I just knew it! It was on the tip of my tongue. What am I thinking?! She just threatened to kill me and I'm still arguing about the creepy tooth lady's name.

"I think I'd be safer if you waited for the next elevator" a large and brawly man says.

"Yeah" I agree watching the doors close and the numbers flashing above the steel doors.

"What even happened between the two of you?" Enobaria asks.

I shrug. "I'm not sure what made her that angry"

"Is it like the time when you made District One angry?" Clay asks.

"That was because I insulted the self centered brat" I say defensively. "This is different"

"Wait, you insulted the girl from one?" the man asks. "What did she do?"

"She was going to tear me apart if it wasn't for your boy here" I answer and all eyes flicker to Clay. He shrugs innocently and I hear the ding of the elevator. I say a quick "thank you" and "goodbye" before leaving.

- - -_ TIME SKIP _- - -

I scream when Lyric rips off the wax and hairs from my leg.

"If you don't stop squirming then it'll hurt more!" she says. Lyric is a part of the prep team a met a few hours ago. Her hair is a vibrant pink and short with ringlets and her eyes are a striking blue. She is in charge of tearing away all the hair from my body apart from eyebrows and the hair on my head. After she has finished torturing me, Em, enters and begins doing my nails. Emalinna, or Em for short, is also a part of my prep team. She does my nails.

"Look at the length of your nails!" Em gasps. "It's just as long as a cat's"

Em has jet black hair that reaches her rear and bright yellow eyes that resemble a cat's. She has whiskers sprouting from her both her cheeks and long nails painted black. Em has an unhealthy obsession with cats and pleas countless times to attach whiskers to my face but Lyric always replied with a no and says something along the lines of, "Volumnia said no major changes" or "Volumnia wouldn't accept". I'm guessing this Volumnia girl is my main stylist considering the fact that they won't stop talking about her.

"If I could only convince Volumnia to let me implant whiskers on that pretty face of yours" she sighs and my hand absentmindedly goes to my face. Once Em is finished, Braydon does my hair then I am thrown into a room with a woman I presume to be Volumnia. She removes all the mirrors from the room and quickly gets to work on my dress. After spending almost two hours on the dress, Volumnia brings a floor length mirror so I can see myself. The dress is dark blue and reaches the floor. It is strapless and a simple belt is secured around my waist. My hair is curled and pinned up away from my face and little to none makeup is applied on my face. I don't want to be ungrateful or unappreciative but the dress is quite plain and boring and I have a hard time believing it took her two hours creating it. I simply smile and thank Volumnia before leaving to find Raptor. Raptor is wearing a dark blue suit and has his hair slicked back. The two of us enter the chariots and Woof rushes over to us with Volumnia and Raptor's stylist, Larkin following. Volumnia takes me hand in hers and tips a bunch of glitter, sequins and confetti.

"When the camera is on you just throw them" she says.

Before I can ask why, the horses begin moving and Raptor catches me so I don't fall from the chariot. I see that Raptor is also holding confetti in his hand as well. It seems as if the cheering is lower down a notch when they see us in our plain outfit. I look to the screen and see that both mine and Raptor's face is showing. Raptor and I toss the confetti into the air and it rains down on us. When the confetti all falls to the floor the Capitol is screaming at us and cheering. I am puzzled until I see myself on the large screen. There I am, standing beside Raptor is a beautiful, long, flowing silver dress. There is only one strap that travels over my left shoulder. The fabric is softer than a feather and flows like a silver waterfall. I guess our costumes weren't so plain after all.

**Author's Note:** The big muscular man is Brutus, in case you didn't know. Johanna is District 7's female mentor and Enobaria is District 2's female mentor. Johanna is the sarcastic and snarky girl with the axe in Catching Fire. If you read it or watched it then you'll know what I mean. Brutus is the baldy from CF. Enobaria is the lady with the fang-like teeth.

My sister Pam (Pamela) thinks that Enobaria only cosmetically altered her teeth because she wants to be a vampire. Weird huh? Pam is only eight so it makes sense.

Starting from now, I will NOT post anymore chapters until I get a least two reviews for each chapter. It's the fifth chapter and I know that over 100 people have read this story but none of them review except for two people! C'mon guys please review. It makes me sad to know that barely anyone feels like this story is good enough to review for. Things like this can really make a 12 year old sad.

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

-Prim (itsthatcrazygirl13)


End file.
